Property permit-history assistant

Find official record resources and prepare a research checklist for a project, home purchase, sale, or unresolved inspection.

Understand what a record establishes

An application, issued permit, inspection result, and final closeout are different records. Match the address, dates, project scope, and related trade permits. An online search with no result is not proof that work was exempt or unpermitted; older files and separate agencies may need a records request.

Prepare before opening the official portal

1. Confirm the property's governing city or county with its official jurisdiction map.
2. Have the property identifiers and approximate project dates available privately when the official office asks for them.
3. Search the complete scope, including separate building and trade permits.
4. Ask what approval or final record the actual project requires; retain the office's explanation.

This website does not retrieve a home's records or submit a public-records request. No address is needed here. Seattle's official research guide illustrates the different record resources an agency can provide.